Railroad: New York Central Railroad Company, The

The New York Central railroad, later known as the New York Central System, was operated in Michigan from 1915 and 1968, and included the lines of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, the Michigan Central, and other lines under Vanderbilt control. The railroad system merged with the Pennsylvania railroad in 1968 creating Penn Central.

Various → New York Central Railroad → Penn Central Company.

Consolidated: 1914 - many lines including Lake Shore & Michigan Southern; Detroit, Monroe & Toledo: Kalamazoo & White Pigeon; Northern Central in Michigan.

Click here for map.

Operated for 54 years.

Bought: 1915 - Sturgis, Goshen & St. Louis

Leased: 1930 - the Michigan Central, Big Four, CK&S.

Merged: 1968 - into Pennsylvania New York Central Transportation Company (forerunner to Penn Central)

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

Time Line

1926. January 9. The NYC reports record setting earnings from operation of the 20th Century Limited passenger train. [RR]

1926. May 15. he NYC buys a large block of Michigan Central railroad stock. [RR]

1951. Old 999 is now parked in the NYC Airline Junction yard, guarded from the clutches of the scrap heap, which is the usual fate of outmoded locomotives. Railroaders look with respect at the engine, which has been the pride of the railroad for nearly 60 years since she pulled the Empire Express from New York City to Albany at an average speed of 112.5 miles per hour. The record, set May 10, 1893, stood for only 12 years, but regard for the engine and memory of men who worked on her, demands that she be preserved. [BCE-1951-1216]

1963. The Mackinac Transportation company has asked the ICC for permission to abandon its railroad car ferry service at the Straits because it cannot afford to repair its ferry. John Benson, of the Soo Line railroad which owns the company, said that the Coast Guard has condemned the boiler of the Chief and that repairs would cost more than a half million dollars. "It would take us a long time to recover that much money on our present revenues," said Benson. The Chief is an icebreaker and has maintained daily service across the Straits, serving the Soo Line terminal at St. Ignace and the Pennsylvania and New York Central railroad terminals at Mackinaw City. Benson added that the loss was inevitable with the building of the Mackinaw Bridge. "We have ben hurt real bad by bridge trucking", said Benson. [EDP-1963-1126]

1965. October 1. ICC hearing Examiner Hyman J. Blond ruled that the lines could not abandon the service. The railroads vowed to appeal the ruling to the ICC's finance division. [TCRE-1965-1201]

Map

Above, a map of the New York Central Michigan Division in 1958. [ETT-NYC-1958]